The Slow Path
by IAintAJudas
Summary: Follow on to 'Domestic'. The Doctor can't sleep so he does some thinking.


**Authors Notes**

**One-Shot Doctor Who fanfic I posted on A Teaspoon and an Open Mind (theimpossiblegirl) a while back**

The dim light of the vanilla scented candle gave the room a warm flickering glow, illuminating enough to have a soft silhouette but not enough to disturb sleep. The Doctor sat on the armchair in the corner of the bedroom; clad in grey sweats and a thick black jumper, it was just entering summer so the air was still uncomfortably cool. It was four in the morning and he couldn't sleep, his previous Time Lord physiology had allowed him to go days without succumbing to the mortal trait of slumber, however he was now human — but his brain seemed to think otherwise. He decided after reading half way through James Herbert's 'The Secret of Crickley Hall' — an inaccurate ghost story in his opinion — that he should probably at least attempt to doze off, he pulled himself out of the chair wearily before moving the illuminated glass jar over to the bed side table. The bed springs creaked noisily; causing his sleeping wife to mumble and wrinkle her nose, he smiled at her sleeping form as he tugged the duvet up around his shoulders.

She was beautiful — his Rose — more than ever in his opinion, of course he'd though that before but this time she had more of a warm glow to her, their previous unrequited love had taken its toll on her in the end, and once she'd broken through the void from the alternate universe she had changed into a more hardened woman, rather than his sweet Rose.

"Beautiful," he whispered, tapping her on the nose fondly.

She mumbled in response; she was still asleep but aware of his nocturnal activity.

He smiled and pulled her close to his body, the action met with a contented sigh. It had been three and half years since the Time Lord Doctor had dispersed them on the alternate Earth, at the time he though of it more as a punishment; but now he understood that he was only trying to make Rose happy — By giving her what she really needed. Him.

They'd married a year later, it was only a small ceremony; Rose wasn't a massively sociable person and only wanted very close friends and family to attend. He'd respected her wishes; he'd barely known anyone at the point and besides he didn't care who was there as long as at the end of it he got to call her his wife.

He smiled at the fond contemplation; everything was going to plan, he'd taken the name of John Tyler. She wanted him to use Smith but he'd argued that he'd fallen in love with Rose Tyler and would therefore become a Tyler, she'd begrudgingly accepted in the end and he was sure she liked the idea deep down. Jackie certainly did.

Rose tightened her arms around his waist in her sleep, her mop of blonde hair tucked beneath his chin, as she did he felt the small bump of her stomach pressed against his. Thirteenth of October 2012 was her due date; he'd been overly enthusiastic when she had her scan. He'd insisted on all kinds of tests at Torchwood for the unborn child, but Rose wanted it to be normal. They didn't even know the sex of the baby yet.

He certainly wasn't going to argue with the blonde girl, she already suffered with dreadful mood swings and morning sickness and she was only four months gone, they'd decided on Marcus for a boy and Jessamie for a girl. He was grinning madly thinking about it all in his head, he couldn't wait to experience all these new things with her.

The small, excited pang in his heart reminded him he was human — heart not hearts — but he'd grown accustomed to it, he had the opportunity to spend the rest of his mortal life with the blonde shop girl he'd met seven years ago in a basement, the blonde shop girl he became utterly smitten with in a very short period of time. The girl he'd lost and then found, he didn't like to believe in fate but he was certain that she was a pretty accurate representation of it. He pressed a kiss against her hair before leaning backwards slightly and blowing out the candle.

The Doctor and Rose taking the slow path together. Forever.


End file.
